Research | University at Albany

The research areas of our faculty address many of the most challenging scientific problems in our time, with special focuses on forensic chemistry, ribonucleic acid chemistry, medicinal and synthetic chemistry, material and inorganic chemistry, and biochemistry and biophysics.

Our faculty members publish in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals and receive grant funding from both federal and private agencies including the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Defense (DoD), the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and the Department of Agriculture (USDA). As a result, exciting research opportunities abound for our graduate and undergraduate students alike. Our faculty are deeply committed to training our students by being accessible and by designing specialized research projects, along with other educational programs, that meet the scientific interests and career objectives of each of our students. Our mission is to provide exceptional training for our undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars in state-of-the-art chemistry that leads to successful careers in industry, teaching and research.

This research program is also integrated with graduate and undergraduate education through a combination of creative independent research, advanced courses, and a research seminar series. The seminar series also includes two endowed lectureships: the Henry Kuivila Lecture and the AMRI-Chemistry Lecture, given by the world’s most renowned chemists and biochemists. In addition, Chemistry is the host department for the biennial Summer Conversation Series. The Conversation has drawn the prominent scientists from around the world who are working in the fields of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Structural Biology. The department also holds an annual Undergraduate Chemistry Research Symposium. Finally, our department is a co-organizer for the annual Life Science Research Symposium for our graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Research Divisions

Analytical and Forensic Chemistry Division

Analytical chemistry spans nearly all areas of chemistry. The faculty in this division develop tools and methods to measure physical properties of substances and apply those techniques to the identification of their presence (qualitative analysis) and quantify the amount of species (quantitative analysis) present in a wide variety of settings, including real samples from crime scenes. The faculty are also heavily involved in development of novel approaches and concepts of forensic chemistry research and disease diagnostics.

Faculty: Igor Lednev, Rabi Musah

Biochemistry and Biophysics Division

Biochemistry and Biophysics consider the fundamental chemical principles that govern all biological systems. Particular areas of interests include protein folding, membrane proteins, macromolecular structure determination, dynamics, enzymology, structure/function, inhibitors and RNA aptamers, screening and modeling of biological compounds and molecules. We use many biochemical and biophysical techniques such as NMR, Raman spectroscopy, AFM, EPR, and laser photolysis, and electrical current recording to uncover the secrets behind biochemical behavior.

Faculty: Alan Chen, Igor Lednev, Li Niu, Rabi Musah, Jayanti Pande, Maksim Royzen, Alexander Shekhtman, Jia Sheng, John Welch, Mehmet Yigt, Qiang Zhang

biochemistry-and-biophysics-division

Inorganic and Materials Chemistry Division

Inorganic and Materials Chemistry research at the University at Albany covers a diverse range of topics including organometallic and supramolecular chemistry, structure, bonding, and reactivity of novel molecules, metal cluster chemistry, chemistry at the nanoscale, and organic-inorganic hybrid materials. These small molecules and materials have diverse applications in catalysis, separation, energy storage, semiconductor devices, and superhard materials.

Faculty: Evgeny Dikarev, Jeremy Feldblyum, Marina Petrukhina, Michael Yeung, Mehmet Yigit

Organic Chemistry Division

The Department of Chemistry offers a diverse selection of research opportunities in organic chemistry with particular strengths in organometallic chemistry, sulfur and fluorine chemistry, organic synthesis, bioorganic and natural products chemistry, and organic materials. Many of the designed compounds find applications in medicine and agriculture.

Faculty: Rabi Musah, Maksim Royzen, Ting Wang, John Welch, Qiang Zhang

Physical and Computational Chemistry

Physical Chemistry and Computational Chemistry are central to all of molecular sciences, seeking fundamental understanding in areas as diverse as the structure and function of biomolecules, to molecular electronics, nanomaterials, and molecular dynamics. The faculty who are doing research in this area focus on developing fundamental tools and techniques, and computational simulation methods, and applying these to both biological, materials, and energy problems.

Faculty: Alan Chen, Jeremy Feldblyum, Li Niu, Jayanti Pande, Alexander Shekhtman